Guiding catheters are typically inserted at the groin with their proximal end remaining outside the patient and their distal end placed in an artery. Guide wires are used to help place these guiding catheters at an appropriate place in the arterial system. However, during the time it takes to properly advance the guiding catheter's distal end into the ascending aorta or other large artery, there is typically substantial blood leakage out of the guiding catheter's proximal end. This exposes health care workers to the risks associated with bloodborne pathogens.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,167,644 entitled "Manually Sealable Introducer Sheath" which issued on Dec. 1, 1992 to the present inventors, Robert E. and Tim A. Fischell, describes a similar invention as used with an introducer sheath instead of a guiding catheter which invention is also a means to prevent substantial blood leakage. One difference between the present invention and the invention described in the above referenced U.S. Pat. No. 5,167,644 is that a sheath has a hemostasis valve at its proximal end but a guiding catheter has no means whatsoever to prevent substantial blood leakage.